Song of Nerves
by Frantic Rush
Summary: Just when Alice begins to settle down in Wonderland at Julius' side, a new foreigner arrives. The role-holders prepare themselves for another round of the infamous Game of Hearts, but they are in for a surprise...
1. Chapter 1

Alice sighed tiredly while she watched how Ace set up his tent. She knew it would end up like this, the moment the knight kidnapped her from the clock tower to go on an 'adventure'. But that's just how life in Wonderland works; one moment you're peacefully sipping coffee with Julius, the next you're lost in the woods because a certain wayward idiot. Alice stopped her musings as she heard approaching footsteps.

"Alice, are you daydreaming? Oh wait, it's night so that's impossible!" Ace hummed. "Hahahaha, you must be nightdreaming then!"

Alice rolled her eyes at his comment, not amused at all. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's just go to sleep." She stood up and brushed some leaves from her skirt and apron. The mere thought of sleeping on the forest ground darkened her mood even further. She sighed again.

"Oh ho hoooo!" Ace sang. "Are you so eager to sleep with me, even though I am not Julius?" Wow, Alice! I'm such a luck-,"

Ace stopped midsentence and his goofy smile disappeared. Alice, though, did not notice this in the slightest as she blushed profoundly. "S-shut up, Ace!" She began to run to the tent, past Ace. She struggled with the annoying zipper however. Groaning, Alice gave up and reluctantly turned around.

"Heey, Ace, could you..." Alice's voice trailed off as she took in the knight's stance. He hadn't moved since she ran past him. His eyes where focused on something in the distance, his posture tense. She looked in the same direction. Did he see something?

"... Ace? What's wrong?" Alice asked unsure. She now noticed how unusual quiet the forest had grown. A shiver ran up her spine. It's as if Wonderland itself stood still.

"...A new foreigner, huh?" Ace murmured. His trademark dopey grin appeared again as he turned to Alice. "I wonder if this foreigner is going to be as bad at giving directions as you are! Hahahaha!"

" A new-, wait what?! You are the one that got us lost. As _always,_ may I add." she huffed and then raised her eyebrows. "Anyway, how could you tell there is a new foreigner?"

"Silly Alice, all role-holders can sense the arrival of a foreigner. We know, just like Wonderland knows..." He silently made his way to the tent and smoothly unzipped it.

FOREIGNER'S POV

I landed with a light thud and stumbled a bit to regain my balance. Phew! Who knew falling down a rabbit hole would be such a crazy experience... I cautiously looked around. Hmmm, night-time. In an unfamiliar place. In the middle of a forest. Great, juuust fabulous. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. Don't worry, I can do this. It's just a new world. Not scary at all, right? Okay, who am I kidding. The memory of Casper's stern warning flashes to mind...

_"And whatever you do, stay away from the so called 'role-holders'. They are more dangerous than any bounty hunter you have met. More dangerous than The Crocodile himself, I bet." He placed his hand on my shoulders and looked at me in such an intense way as to burn his words in my brain. "Now go and take care, my little bird." Before I could respond, he kissed my forehead. He pushed me away with a strength I wasn't expecting and then I was falling. _

And now I'm here. With nothing more than a little satchel and my brother's ominous words. I began to search for a place to sleep, but froze midstep. Wait. He didn't say how to recognise these role-holders! Ugh, Casper, you idiot!


	2. Chapter 2

Twenty time changes. Twenty, yet no one knew where the new foreigner was. The role-holders turned restless, much to Alice's curiosity. Last night, she asked Nightmare about it.

_"But, of course we're on edge, dear Alice..." The dream demon said while floating in front of her. "A new foreigner means a new game, but now that he or she is missing..." The scene around them changed from the purple nothingness to an idyllic field of daisies. _

_Alice was used to the random changes, so she wouldn't let herself be distracted. "What do you mean, 'he or she'? Haven't you met the foreigner yet in the dream world then?" Probably because he is too busy running away from Gray though... Nightmare is such a slacker._

_Nightmare faked a pout and waved his arms childishly at her silent comment. "How mean, Alice! I always do my job, it's just that Gray gives me too much! He is so horrible..." Seeing Alice's glare he quickly regained his posture._

_ "But to answer your question, I have been looking for the foreigner, really. However, I can't reach this person. A possible reason is because this person never sleeps, though that seems highly unlikely. A more plausible theory is that this person never sleeps long enough to reach the stage of sleep in which dreams occur. Either way, we should keep our eyes open." He floated down to sit in front of Alice, picked a daisy and examined it. "We don't want this foreigner to be lost, do we?"_

_Alice shuddered at the implications, as dark memories of a prison and a haunting laugh came to mind. "No... no, we don't." _

A quiet cough snapped her back to reality. "67 points, Alice." Julius commented stoically, but there was a hint of concern in his voice. With keen precision, the clockmaker put down his tools and faced Alice. "How unusual. Is there something on your mind?" He reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear with a faint smile he only showed her.

Alice couldn't help but blush. "Ah... it's... the new foreigner, Julius. It's just, I can't help but feel concerned. This world is so dangerous and what if it is a girl, or worse a child!" She could feel the panic rise and bit her lips to stop it from bubbling over. Her first time changes in Wonderland were filled with near death experiences. What if this person has already been in a dangerous situation, and the reason that no one has met the foreigner is because he or she is dead? She quickly shook her head to dispel the ill thoughts. No, Nightmare would have said something if that could be true.

Julius put his mug down and made his way to Alice. "Troublesome woman. Sooner or later the foreigner will meet a role-holder and all will be fine." Julius calmed her while engulfing her in a bear hug. "It's impossible to stay hidden in Wonderland for so long. Ace said almost the whole castle is searching."

Tiptoeing to breathe more comfortably in the crushing hug, Alice nodded in agreement. "Yes, Vivaldi has been quite impatient. She wants to be the first role-holder to meet the new foreigner."

"There, you see. No need to worry."

"…I suppose so. I think I will head to the bookshop now to take my mind off things. Who knows? Maybe they've got new books." She said cheerily. Alice pecked a surprised Julius on the lips. "Well then, see you later!"

Embarrassed, Julius covered his burning cheeks with a scowl as he watched the girl leave the room. "…Troublesome woman."

.

(at the shop)

.

"Hello, Miss Alice, our favourite customer! We are so happy to see you again!"

"Yes, Mr. Moris. It has been too long, right? Do you have new books, perhaps? I have read all the books in the Clock Tower AGAIN. I've been dying for new stories!" She said happily as she watched the old shopkeeper walking around the large chaotic shop.

"New books, huh? I think I've got just the story that might appeal to you, Miss Alice… but where…did…" he trailed off, touching his bushy moustache in a thinking gesture. He tapped his feet, went off in one direction. He then stopped and promptly went in another direction, mumbling about this and that.

Alice chuckled at this. Of all the faceless, this kind old man was closest to her. While he was busy looking for a certain book, she hummed a random tune to pass the time.

Out of seemingly nowhere, a voice started to sing to her melody. Startled, Alice abruptly stopped humming. Who-?!


	3. Chapter 3

Alice spun around to find the source of this beautiful sound. _There!_ Near the shop's entrance stood a cloaked figure, a little smaller than Alice herself, face partially hidden behind a hood. The moment Alice turned however, the figure stiffened and dashed away. What? Did that person have eyes? They were... a very dark brown. Alice gasped in shock as realisation hit her just as the shop's door slammed shut. The foreigner! I can still catch up, I have to!

Alice ran after the figure, leaving Mr. Moris' concerned shouting behind her. But woah, that person is _fast_! Is it a young boy then? No, wait. The voice was definitely a woman's. Alice watched the strange girl weave through the crowd of faceless with ease and she gritted her teeth. No, legs, don't fail me now! She strained every muscle in her legs to push forward, even though the distance between her and her target didn't lessen in the slightest.

"S-stop!" She shouted with the little breath she had left. She knew she wasn't the best runner but this was getting ridiculous - just how fast is this person?! Alice bummed into a faceless, earning her a disgruntled 'Hey!'. Panting she apologised while still keeping an eye on the cloaked person who disappeared in an alley. She's getting away! Cursing her weak body Alice resumed her chase, making a sharp turn down the alley.

Alice crashed into a body and stumbled back. Before she could fall, strong familiar arms captured her.

"Wow, Alice, slow down will ya? Where's the fire, huh?" Boris said with a slight purr. With his famous Cheshire grin he steadied the frail girl.

"Bo- boris. Have... have you seen... Okay, wait a minute." Alice huffed exhausted. She leaned on the wall, taking deep breathes to calm her frantic heart. She held Boris' arm for support. He was staring curiously at her, twitching his tail in excitement. Alice took a last deep breath.

"The foreigner. I think I saw her in the bookshop, but she ran before I could say something. She wore a light brown cloak with a hood. Have you seen her?"

"Haaaa... nope! Or maybe I did?" Boris smiled even wider and playfully tapped his tail to her arm.

"Boris! It's not time to play games!" Alice said exasperated. This feline-! One of these days I am going to tie his tail in a knot. She huffed defeated. Fine, if he doesn't want to help, I'll just find her myself! She turned determinedly towards the direction in which the foreigner went, only to stop. Alice sighed tiredly. With that speed, catching up with her now is pretty much out of the question.

Boris watched in amusement how her face changed from anger, conviction to finally hopelessness. So funny ~ His ears flickered in happiness. Teasing makes life so much better! But as her eyes darkened a tad worse, Boris fell a little bit of guilt creeping its way to his clock. Just a little bit though. He poked her cheek to get her attention.

"I didn't see her, I only came here because I was drawn to a scent. You sure she went this way?"

"Yes... But now I'm doubting myself. I mean, she should run past you, right? I'm sure you would notice her..." Alice began to feel downhearted. She ignored his weird comment about the scent. Knowing Boris he was probably looking for Pierce. She let her shoulders slump. Where in Wonderland are you, foreigner?

FOREIGNER'S POV

I carefully glance below at the scene. That was so close. Too close. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. And I have my own stupidity to blame for it! I peek from my hiding spot at the pair underneath me. They have faces... are they role-holders? But that girl couldn't be as dangerous as my brother said. If that little sprint exhausted her... No, I shouldn't let my guard down. After all, I know nothing of this strange world. I almost freaked out in public with these random time changes. Thank goodness my shock went unnoticed. But then there are people without faces, and now people with faces and, and and- Aaargh! So confusing.

And here I was, thinking that it would be a good idea to visit a bookshop. I could read a book about this world and then maybe something would make some sense. After that I would leave before anyone would notice me. Such a simple plan. Perfect, fool proof. But _nooooo_, of course not. The moment I opened a book, I foolishly relaxed and then before I could comprehend what I was doing, I was singing. Singing. I mean, what is wrong with me? Stupid DNA-thingies. Curse my blood! And then - this must be the worst day so far in this world - a role-holder noticed me. I groaned silently and tapped my head against a roof tile. Good thing I have been running every day for years so I could outrun her and make my way up this roof.

But the other person... My eyes nervously glued themselves to his ears. A cat! A freaking cat of all animals! I am _so _done for it. I watched his ears twitch in my direction and I crouched down lower. The hard tiles left marks on my belly, but my focus never wavered. Please, please, _please_ go! If they could just go on their merry way and everything will be just -.

My head snapped up at the sound of an explosion not far from here. The smell of gunpowder filled the air as I scanned the area. Oh oh, I sense trouble. The pair below me moved towards the explosion, bickering about something as they went. Hmm, it seems my luck has turned. Now is my chance to escape! As they moved out of sight, I carefully climbed down to a crack in the wall. From that point I jumped down, making sure not to make any sound by letting my legs absorb the impact of the jump. I made sure the coast was clear, peeking around the corner. Relief filled me as tension left.

That was until I felt a light tap on my shoulder. A low man's voice reached my ears.

"Excuse me... miss?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Excuse me... miss?"

I sucked in a startled breath and without looking at the man the voice belonged to, I started running. Running like the devil was behind me. I heard his heavy footsteps follow me. He's fast! Oh, I'm in big trouble now.

"Wait! I just want to talk!" he shouted. Yeah right, then why are you sprinting after me with such speed? Talking my foot!

I sensed his approach. Shoot, he really is quick... just like those others. A hundred memories of bounty hunters crossed my mind as I zigzagged between the masses of people. I don't know who is chasing me this time, I just know I should not let myself be caught. With horror I felt his presence coming closer. And then I sensed his hand barely brushing my arm. No, no, no, nope! Not going to happen!

I took a sharp turn right and raced towards the town's market. As I passed the fruit stand I grabbed the table, flipped it around and danced away from the falling apples and rolling bananas. I caught a glimpse of the chaser amidst the commotion I created; a tall, dark haired man who looked bewildered as he caught some apples. I gasped as I spied his eyes. A role-holder?! The man looked torn between me and the vendor, but ultimately decided to help the vendor. In any other situation I would feel sorry for the poor faceless vendor, now I'm just happy I've stalled my chaser a bit.

My happiness was short-lived as I saw him sprinting after me _again_. Okay if I had to put a label on him, and my options were 'friendly', 'neutral' or 'hostile'... Well, 'hostile' would be my best bet. We almost ran across the entire town and he's still not relenting! Not much further and we're out of town. I would definitely be at a disadvantage there, I can't criss-cross between people and buildings... I have to get rid of him now.

As I spotted a narrow passage, an idea came to mind. My last chance-! I darted to the passage, then nimbly climbed up to sit on a windowsill. I loosened up my cloak and prepared myself for attack. He will round that corner any moment now. I closed my eyes and let my instincts take over. A peaceful serenity brimmed my heart. Aaah, he's almost there. I slowly opened my eyes, steadying myself on the sill as I leaned slightly away from it. Three... two...

ONE! I threw my cloak at the figure first, then I dove off the sill, landing on his back. My momentum helped me push him to the ground. He painfully groaned as he fell forward, face first. I let him bear with my full weight as he cushioned the fall for me. Looking at the unmoving figure beneath me, I didn't hesitate one second and bounded towards the forest.

I kept on running and running. Trees passed me like a blur as I focused on my destination. There! I'm saved! I felt at ease, stopping in front of a particular tree. Home sweet home, I thought worn out. Well it's not really much of a home, but close enough. I walked around the base of the tree, looking for the familiar lump. When I found it I used it as a stepping stone while simultaneously reaching for a sturdy branch. I hoisted myself up, muscles aching for a rest after this crazy day. Seriously, it felt like I had run a marathon.

Almost there, almost there... Last branch and then I can take a quick nap to-

"I really didn't-"

My foot slipped hearing the one voice I didn't want to hear and I couldn't stop a short shriek from escaping my lips. And then I fell right in his arms.

"... mean any harm." The man finished, scrutinising me with golden eyes. I fell from way up high, but he wasn't affected at the slightest. In fact he held me up with ease. So he's not only fast, but freaking strong as well? Oh, dear...

His expression was impossible to read, but I knew enough. I indirectly attacked him with fruit. Then I jumped on his back, probably injuring him. ...Yeah. I'm screwed.

**Author: Oh wow. I just realised I never really did something like an author's note... Sorry, sorry!**  
**Firstly, I don't own HNKNA series (cry)**  
**Secondly, I'm not a native English speaker. So, if you find something that****_ looks_**** like it could be English, but doesn't sound like it... yeah blame me :P**  
**Lastly, this is my first story and to be honest... most of the time I have no idea what I'm doing xD So if you have any reviews, suggestions, criticism and what not... I will gladly read it :3**


	5. Chapter 5

In a mad attempt to somehow escape his solid arms, I trashed my legs. It was futile of course, his arms provided an iron cage around my body. My strongest points have always been my speed and agility, but those are pretty much useless when you get captured. I let frustration get the better of me and growled.

I accidently locked eyes with him. His calm eyes provoked an anger in me, causing me to struggle even harder. Escaping was a daily activity in my old world, so why did he catch me so easily? Angry tears pricked my eyes as I glared at this man. I feel so weak... He waited patiently, like he was handling an annoying toddler. What is with this man! I looked down, judging the distance between me and the ground. Sigh. He's tall.

"Don't even think about escaping. I will just catch you again." The way he said it... it was like he had repeated it so many times. Like saying the phrase had become a habit. So he's used to dealing with runaways? I stored that bit of information in the back of my mind, together with all the other things I know about him. Deadly speed, strength, the ability to sneak up on people... I gulped audibly as horror filled me: he must be a bounty hunter. I inspected him closer now, looking for things he might carry on his body. Are those... knives I see? Fear gripped my heart and I couldn't help but tremble.

"Hey," he said softly. "There's no need to be afraid. I won't hurt you." But you have knives, nevertheless. They're not there for decoration purposes, I'm sure.

He waited a while for my response, but I clamped my lips tightly together. Speech is silver, silence is golden. He let out a small sigh and began to walk at a leisurely pace to god knows where. Still holding me steadily, to my dismay.

"Anyway, my name is Gray Ringmarc." He paused a bit and looked at me expectantly. Are you really expecting me to go with the flow and start some friendly conversation with you? He's either polite or stupid. Ugh.

"...So, I take it you are a foreigner. I understand why you might be on guard. This world must be different from yours." He looked pensively in the distance now. So he knows I'm not from this world... The fact that he knew so much about me made me uneasy. He clearly has the upperhand.

"But don't worry, Master Nightmare will explain everything to you." I turned rigid at his words. Master N-N-Nightmare? What malicious creature has a name like that?! Or, worse, what if it was a nickname, given after doing something so horrible, 'nightmare' had become the only fitting description. I broke out in a cold sweat. With renewed vigour I struggled again. The bounty hunter looked at me with mild shock and tightened his hold. It's no use. Defeated, I slumped in his arms, imagining monsterlike brutes sitting on a throne of rotting human bones. Okay, so maybe it won't be that bad. But the name 'Nightmare' isn't exactly promising either. I cringed.

"Please don't look so frightened, foreigner. No one's going to hurt you." He said with such gentleness in his voice, it surprised me. I peeked up, meeting his tender eyes. It confused me and forced me to see him in a new light. A more objective light. Yes, he is dangerous. But... the way he holds me, firm but not painfully so… the way he talked to me, trying to make me feel at ease despite my reactions...

I shook my head, trying to clear the confusion. I just don't know what to think anymore. I really don't know. And I'm so tired. I lightly rested my head on his shoulder, not caring anymore. I just... Tired... so tired... I hadn't slept well in so many time changes. Couple that with all the running and voilà. I forced my eyes to open and tried to distract myself. Well, time to find out more about this mysterious bounty hunter. If he wants a conversation, he can have one. Goodbye silent treatment.

"Where are we going?" My voice was barely above a whisper, I doubted he would hear me.

"To the Tower of Clover. It's not far from here." As he said that, a surprised smile lit up his face, looking pleased with my change in attitude. Huh? So besides strong, fast, sneaky and friendly... I can now add 'handsome' to my list. Wait what?

I quickly averted my gaze to where we were heading. Brain?! What is wrong with you brain? In a possible life threatening situation I come up with the term 'handsome'? Ugh, I must really be sleep deprived. Brilliant. I wanted to facepalm so badly, but making sudden movements might not be the best course of action right now. I settled with gritting my teeth. Okay, no more asking questions.

I forced my mind to preoccupy itself with something else. Like the big looming tower we were approaching. Yeah, let's focus on that. My stomach flipped in an uncomfortable way. Oh dear… I do _not_ want to know who is behind that imposing door. Unconsciously I pressed myself closer to the dangerous/gentle/handsome man.

Gray shifted me in his hold to free one of his arms. He opened the massive door and I prepared myself for the worst. Here we go…


	6. Chapter 6

ALICE'S POV

"- and to make matters worse, Boris dragged me to where the explosion was. Saying it might be fun. Can you believe it, Nightmare? Well, anyway I didn't see her afterwards." I vented. I had been walking to and fro animatedly to let out my frustrations. I turned to face the lord of the Tower of Clover himself, only to find him staring intently at the door.

"Nightmare! Are you even listening to me? Hello? Hellooo?" I lively waved my hands in front of him. Seeing as he wasn't responding, I put her hands at my hips and pouted. Ignoring me, huh?

"Nightmare, you -"

"No, I'm not daydreaming, Alice." He interrupted in all seriousness, still staring at the door. I did a double take and looked at him curiously. He usually isn't this serious.

"Gray just entered the tower. With the foreigner." Immediately, I felt excitement.

"She's here?! I must go downstairs now to greet her and-"

Before I could finish my sentence, the door opened, revealing a rather bemused looking Gray and the foreigner. Wait. He's carrying her. Is she injured? I was about to ask Gray, if it wasn't for the fact he was already setting her down. The moment her toes touched the ground, she spun away from Gray and moved herself closer to the window. Her dark brown eyes flickered between Gray, Nightmare and myself at an impossible speed. Awareness filled them instantly when she saw me. Ah, she recognised me? I took a moment to study the stranger before me.

Like I saw earlier, the girl was slightly smaller than me. Her hourglass figure suggested she might be older than one might think, though. She wore a nondescript simple black shirt and dark blue jeans. Together with the cloak she was wearing earlier, it's no surprise she wasn't found for such a long time. She could blend right in a crowd! Speaking of that cloak... where is it? Hmm, I'll ask later.

Wavy dark brown hair reached just below her shoulders, the colour even darker than her eyes. She had a cute face, I observed, and it was also exotic... Maybe she has Asian roots? One thing was obvious... the girl was not comfortable in the least. She kept looking outside. Was she afraid of heights or something?

"Yes, it's a long way down, Fay. So please don't think about it." Fay? Is that her name? Fay snapped her head to Nightmare, suspicion evident in her eyes.

"You know my name. And you know what I'm thinking about." She said slowly, taking a step closer to the window. Ah, she really does have a beautiful voice, just as I remembered it.

"You guessed right, I'm can read minds. You're one of the quickest to find out, actually. My name is Nightmare Gottschalk, head of Clover Tower. And no, I'm not dangerous. Alice here can verify that." He chuckled.

Her perceptive eyes landed on me and I couldn't help but flinch a bit. It's as if she is looking directly into my soul with those dark eyes! I quickly regained myself though.

"Ah, that's me. Nice to meet you, Fay! And yes, Nightmare is a big lazy baby most of the time, who never wants to work. Oh, and he's quite sickly too..." I said with a good-natured laugh.

"Alice, you meanie! That's too much! So terrible!" Nightmare whined. He's showing his childish side again. I tsked lightly and ruffled his hair with a smile. If he's going to act like a child, then I should treat him as one.

Fay blinked a couple of times in surprise before her face settled down in a poker face. Her hands that were previously balled up in fists, relaxed slightly.

"YOU THOUGHT I WAS A BRUTE DOING WHAT-?! Nightmare exclaimed before violently coughing. Gray immediately went to his side with a trashcan in his hands. Just in time. As Nightmare hacked up blood, Fay walked towards us. She reached out for his back and rubbed it in a soothing manner. Oh? I remember I freaked out the first time seeing Nightmare like this. Gray looked as astonished as I felt. This girl seems to be no stranger to blood.

"...Sorry." Fay whispered. "Are you okay?" Nightmare nodded between the coughs. Gray sighed, used to his boss' coughing fits. After a few seconds Nightmare was able to respond.

"I have no idea what Gray has told you to make you think that... but now you see that you're safe here right?" He beamed. She quickly retreated with an angry scowl.

"Safe? I'm in the same room as a bounty hunter and a mind reader and I'm supposed to feel safe?" She hissed. Bounty hunter? Did she mean Gray?

"Wait, Gray is just an _ex_-assassin." I reassured her, emphasizing the 'ex' part. I mean, everyone knows Gray turns into a big sweetheart when he sees anything that's adorable, like kittens and puppies and-

Uh oh. Maybe I said something wrong? Fay was looking at Gray with a ferocity that made my heart leap. I quickly stood between the two, trying to get her attention by waving my arms.

"But he would never hurt you of course! Hahahaha, that would be weird." I laughed uncomfortable. Gray coughed awkwardly behind me. Sorry, Gray! Okay, Alice think... I need to change the mood. Quickly!

"By the way, I really liked your singing, you know, in the bookshop?" Fay finally stopped glaring at Gray and looked at me with a blank face.

"Thank you?" she said uncertain. Fay appeared puzzled about something, but relaxed her stance.

"Oh, so you're a bird and that's why you have a beautiful voice!" Nightmare proclaimed enthusiastic. A bird? What?

**author: whoop whoop! the name of the main character is finally known! :D :D  
random author's note, I know :P**


	7. Chapter 7

FAY'S POV

I looked at Nightmare disbelievingly. The moment I thought 'Yeah, well that's probably because I'm a bird' he just blabbered it so the whole world would know. Geez, it's not really a secret I'm a winter wren, but it's kind of personal so-

"A winter wren?! That sounds so cool, what is it?" he said excitedly. An enthusiasm I did not share. I felt my right eye twitch in annoyance. What is he, some kind of gossiping old woman? Must he spell all my thoughts out loud? Ugh, he's tiring me out. I rubbed my temples and let out a frustrated sigh. This fatigue is definitely taking its toll. And this Nightmare person is not helping me. Oh, he's sulking now? I bet he heard my thoughts. Well, you know what they say about eavesdroppers.

"Fay. I'm so sorry… I was just curious, you see. Please take a seat on the sofa if you're tired." He said with a pout and sad puppy eyes. Heh, that's cute. I shook my head furiously, whishing with all my heart he didn't hear that part. I hesitantly glanced at him, but his face shows no changes. Wait, did he just… _wink_? Nooooooooooo! The embarrassment! Quick, think of something else! What were we talking about again? Oh, yes. Sofa.

Hrn. That's actually not a bad idea. I can't escape anyways with Gray standing between me and the door in a oh-so-subtle way. Plus bursting through the window would be the worst idea, considering this _is _a tower. The more I thought about it, the more tempting it became. Before I could make a move, Alice rushed to the sofa. She sat down with a small thud and patted the space next to her with a big smile on her face.

O…kaaay? It's obvious the girl wants to be helpful, but her almost pushy methods are questionable. Oh, whatever. I'm dog-tired. I made my way to the sofa and sat as far away from Alice as I could. She looks sweet and all, but it was just a precaution.

"If I'm correct, then a winter wren is a small brown garden bird, known for its singing abilities." Gray said thoughtfully. My eyes widened. This guy just keeps surprising me! So now he is the leading expert on birds? If it turns out he can moonwalk or bake delicious cakes, I'll make him enter a talent show. Nightmare was trying to stifle his laugh behind his hands. I smiled in agreement. Yeah, it would be funny to see him do the moonwalk. Alice was ignoring Nightmare's strange behaviour and turned to me.

"What does it mean, though? I don't want to be rude or something, please don't get the wrong impression… but you don't seem to have wings. You see, some role-holders are partly animals too but they have animal ears and tails." The cat with purple hair came to mind. But she said 'some'… Are there more cats? God, I hope not.

"It's true that I don't have wings, or other animal attributes to 'prove' I'm a bird…" I imagined myself with a gigantic ridiculous bird's beak. I would regularly poke someone in the eye with it. Thank goodness I'm not like that. Apparently, Nightmare quite liked the idea or he wouldn't be snickering like he was now. This time it was me who ignored him.

"… but the people in my world are all linked to a specific animal by birth. We share a certain traits and abilities with that animal. Mine just happen to be a winter wren, hence the singing and a few other things." Which I am not going to mention. In my world, the animal connection is considered special, sacred almost. You would only reveal what animal you are to the ones most dearest to you. Except for when you were known for it like…

The memory of The Crocodile's vicious face tore through my heart. His sharp teeth, rough hands, eyes seeking murder... No! It hurts so much, stop! I gasped in shock and immediately tried to shove the memory away. Don't think about it, Fay. He can't hurt you here. I cursed under my breath when I realised where I was. In a room where eyes would watch my every move.

I felt my whole frame tremble as my eyes darted towards Alice. She looked blissfully oblivious to my little episode. Good. She didn't notice. She must still be thinking about birds or something. I unwillingly turned my head to look at Gray and Nightmare. Oh, boy.

Gray showed concern and his arms were halfway extended towards me. He quickly dropped them to his sides when our eyes met, but his lips were still pursed. Nightmare had a poker face. I know he knows. It's impossible for him not to know. But I'm pretty sure he only saw the images, meaning he doesn't know the story behind it. I groaned silently. I'm no fool, I know I can't keep a mind reader from discovering my secrets for long. Problem is… what will he do when he finds out?

I wasn't sure before, but now I realised I had to leave this place as fast as I can. My secret will be safe then. The moment I tried to stand up and make some excuse to leave, Nightmare was at my side in a flash. When did he-?

"You look awfully tired, Fay. Why not rest here for a while?" Huh? The moment he spoke, I felt an overwhelming urge to close my eyes.

"No… t-that's… s'okay nghmare…" I slurred. Is he making me sleepy? No… I have to warn… him… the nightmare… I couldn't think coherently as I let the darkness take over. Last thing I heard was someone chiding the mind reader.

GRAY'S POV

"Nightmare are you using your powers again? That's rude!" Alice said. I'm not surprised she didn't notice how utterly terrified Fay looked just seconds ago. Even I wasn't sure it was real, it was gone so quickly. But if Nightmare is forcing her to sleep, then I wasn't imagining things.

The girl slumped innocently on the sofa. Nightmare manoeuvred her, so she lay with her head on a pillow. Her full lips were slightly open and her hands were twitching lightly. I brushed my finger beneath her eyes, where dark circles were visible. I caught her climbing a tree, but she wouldn't sleep there, right? But if she really is a bird… Fay mumbled something in that sweet voice of hers. I know I shouldn't be thinking this, but she is adorable…

"We're going to hold a meeting, Gray. It's time the rest of Wonderland met Fay." Nightmare said sternly. "I don't like doing this, when she barely trusts us, but at least they will stop fighting over who will meet her first. Ah, Alice, you might want to inform Julius." Alice happily hummed in agreement and practically skipped out the room.

"Could you bring her to a guest room, Gray? I'm going to visit her dreams shortly after I finish my coffee."

"Yes, Master Nightmare."

And for a second time, I held her in my arms.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hmmm, where am I? I curiously looked around, shocked to see my own room. Is this… a dream?! No, the memory of three years ago! I must wake up, before...no… something... is keeping me from waking up..._

_..._

_Huh? What was that?_

_Goosebumps rose on my arms as I looked in the mirror. I disregarded it and spun around to view myself from every angle. Wah, this dress is so beautiful! I especially like this peachy colour... So pretty!_

_"Ugh... I really don't get girls." Casper said. He was standing in my doorway, arms crossed. He shook his head in disbelieve as he inspected me with half-lidded eyes. Even though he is my brother, the only physical trait we shared were dark eyes. His hair was a staggering red and a mischievous smirk seemed nearly etched forever on his face. I can't even begin to count the amount of female hearts he broke with those sly charms of his. But hey, what would you expect from a fox? Not that I will ever tell him, his ego is big enough as it is._

_"And what is it this time?" I asked with a mock pout._

_"I know you girls want to be pretty on your birthdays and everything, but it's winter for goodness' sake. Why the hell are you wearing a summer dress?"_

_"But this dress is really beautiful! You know what, I'm not even going to explain. Only girls will understand!" I stuck my tongue out._

_"Well, well, well. Look at you! When did you learn how to talk back, huh? Show some respect for your older brother, brat." He reached out to ruffle my hair and then pushed my head down._

_"Oh, how I will respect thee, ye great old man" I said sarcastically and faked a curtsy. He's eight years older than I am, but sometimes… I swear I'm mentally older._

_"You only turned fifteen, but you act all high and mighty?" He laughed obnoxiously, like he just shared the greatest joke on earth with me. He leaned on me heavily and I had to use all my strength to hold my stance. I tried to elbow him in the stomach, but he smartly moved away._

_"I leave you two out of my sight for one second and look what happens!" A light blonde woman said as she peeked her head around the door opening. Of all the animals, it was this meerkat that Casper fell head over heels for. _

_"H-Holly..." he blushed. I turned around to hide my snicker. Casper always turns to mush whenever Holly is around._

_"Now, don't make excuses! You're supposed to give her our gift and yet here you are... Teasing her to no end!" She lightly scolded him. She reached behind his back and pulled out a present. Oh, he was hiding it?_

_"Here you are, sweetheart! Your idiot brother and I picked it out for you, so I hope you like it!" She carefully placed the package in my hands and I couldn't hide my excitement. I was practically bouncing while opening it up!_

_Oh, what's this? I let the soft fabric run through my fingers. So delicate... A vest? No... a bolero! It's so elegant, and this colour, it's just a tad darker than my dress-_

_"He knew you would want to wear your favourite dress, so we choose something that goes well with it. This way you can be beautiful AND not freeze to death." She chuckled._

_"I... I don't know what to say... Thank you, thank you both so much!" I nearly sobbed. I feel so touched! I ran towards them both and gave them a hug._

_"Ah, my future sister-in-law is growing up!" Holly hummed. Casper cleared his throat at her comment. Aaaw, he's embarrassed!_

_"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome brat. Now go out to the party downstairs. The whole village is waiting for you to sing." _

_After one more hug, I slipped on the bolero and went outside. I was greeted by a loud cheering the moment I opened the front door. I grinned widely. So many people!_

_Every time someone's birthday came up, everyone in the village would gather and celebrate it. It was to take one's mind off things. News headlines, bombing, defeat, victory… the entire war would be forgotten. It would be like the village was the whole world. We would all pretend there was peace._

_At times like these, of course I missed my parents. They missed so many of my birthdays. I felt a lump in my throat, but smiled anyways. I … I also felt incredibly grateful for the people around me. In this kingdom filled with chaos, they were keeping my reality stable._

_I slapped my cheeks as a wakeup call. No time to be melancholic now! I carefully took the stairs to the homemade stage. I looked over at the audience, seeing only happy faces. I grinned. Oh, I'm pumped up now… I will make them even happier! I inhaled deeply and began to sing._

_As I let the words dance in the air with the most wonderful melodies I knew, I felt as if my heart would burst in mirth. Until I sensed the atmosphere in the audience being overshadowed by angst._

_I abruptly stopped and searched for the source of this anxiety. My eyes focused on the figure that stepped away from the darkness. That's -!_

_"My, my, my…" he slowly clapped. "What a cute little birdy…" With a terrifying calm pace, he made his way to the stage. Everyone stepped back to let him through. The tension was so tangible and heavy, I stopped breathing. With each heavy footstep I cringed. I wanted to run, to scream, to move-! But all I could do was watch how the predator came closer._

_I knew who he was. I've seen his scarred horrendous face in the newspapers. The most ruthless war general our country has known. But also the most successful one, the one with the most influence. So the newspapers stopped writing about the path of destruction and slaughter he left with each place he visited and concentrated on his heroic triumphs. But we all knew. Oh yes, everyone knows The Crocodile._

_The old lady from next door was a little bit too slow in backing away from him. He first went past her, but then whipped around and kicked her in the back with a deafening blow. She didn't stand a chance. Her body caved in, her eyes emptied of life._

_Dead._

_There was screaming everywhere, more soldiers appearing from the shadows, children crying. And somewhere in my mind, I was praying. Praying for Casper. Praying for Holly._

_But I couldn't tear my eyes away from The Crocodile. He climbed up the stage too easy, too fast. All at once, he was in front of me, a disdainful smirk tarnishing his ugly face._

_"Hello, girly." _

**Author: Oh oh. in the next chapter, we will learn the truth about why Fay fled her own world. sooo a little sound effect is needed her:  
PAM PAM PAM**


	9. Chapter 9

_"Hello, girlie"_

_He ran his calloused hand through his raven black hair. As though he's just making small talk. But his eyes betrayed the blood thirst that stirred inside him._

_My heart was hammering away like a vicious bull on rampage was trapped inside it. I hadn't blinked since I saw him and I felt my vision blur with unshed tears. My teeth clattered with fear. I willed myself to back away, but it was as if all my cells were frozen in place. Oh god, he's coming closer...Please don't hurt me!_

_He towered above me. The Crocodile smirked a crooked smile and bent down at my height._

_"What's this? Cat got your tongue? I could help with that..." His words sliced my heart like razor blades. I whimpered as I felt a large hand travel up my spine towards my skull. Without warning he grabbed my hair and dragged me away from the stage. N-noo!_

_I fell from the stadium and smacked the ground. The Crocodile didn't seem to care as he yanked me to my feet. I cried out. He started to walk with large steps and I had problems keeping up with him. Wh-Where are we going?!_

_"Oooooh, so pain makes you use that voice of yours? HAHAHA EXCELLENT!" His face twisted in the craziest way, eyes rolling back. Mad, he's absolutely mad! I'm so scared right now, so scared!_

_He smashed me against the wall, releasing my skull and instead holding me by the neck. He laughed deliriously as he squeezed my neck painfully. Can't... breathe... Somebody, help-!_

_I looked over his shoulder as much as I could and shock overwhelmed me. Soldiers, breaking in doors, throwing stones through windows, drinking, laughing rowdy... Why are they doing this? How can they just-?! Something snapped inside of me as I saw how they teared down my village. Fear deterred my movements before. Now it fuelled it._

_I screamed bloody murder and clawed at the Crocodile's horrid face. He released me in a moment of surprise and I made a mad dash. Run, I need to-!_

_I barely took five steps until a large hand on my shoulders pulled me back strongly. I hit the ground with an ear splitting sound. I dizzily tried to sit up and my vision started to blur... Wait, something... something is wrong with my head. The Crocodile roughly pulled on my hand and I cried out in agony. He dislocated my arm!_

_"My, somebody's eager to run... But you know, little birdie, nobody gets away from me. Ah, what a fascinating voice. And you're so innocent too!" He tapped his fingers to his chin as a mock thinking gesture. "You are my favourite kind of, ah how do you call it? Right... favourite kind of victim. I'll enjoy destroying you." He snickered insanely._

_He then reached out to grab my neck again. He wants to suffocate me?! No!_

_Before he could do anything, a young soldier ran up to us panting._

_"Sir! They are attacking our camp, sir! It's- It's burning down!"_

_"Hmpf. We must repay them then. Set this pathetic excuse of a village on fire, for me will you. And you... I'll let you fly away. For today, that is. Savour the run, birdie."_

_The moment he let me go I scrambled away from him. I ran towards the forest, not knowing where else to go. I need to escape!_

_Before I entered the forest I glanced back one more time. I gasped as I saw flames everywhere. My home..._

_A hand grabbed me but before I could shriek, I was wrapped in the most familiar arms in the world._

_"Casper, C-Casper, Casper, Casper!" I sobbed and clung to him for dear life._

_"Hush now, Fay. We're fine. Everything is okay. I'm here" He chanted over and over again. He lifted me up and started running._

_"Wait, Holl- Holl- where-?"_

_"Holly is fine. She led the rest of the village to the forest clearing. They're all okay too. Hold on tight, Fay." His voice was tense with stress and I sobbed louder. Why? Why is this happening to us?_

_He stopped and put me down carefully. I turned around and my hand flew to cover my mouth. Despair, anxiety and panic were written on every face I saw. There were so many people wounded, many more were crying. Families and friends clutched each other desperately and children were wailing uncontrollably. My vision began to blur again and the sounds faded away._

_I spun around immediately to ask Casper what was going on only to find the spot empty. What? Where?!_

_The colours started to dim to all shades of dull grey as I frantically searched for my brother. Suddenly Nightmare appeared before me._

_"Fay! Take my hand! Let's get you out of here!"_

_No. Casper! Holly!_

_"Listen to me, this is NOT real, do you hear me? This is only a nightmare, Fay!"_

_A... nightmare? Understanding washed over me. No, it's not happening now. But it's not a nightmare either. It's a memory. Grief and relief filled me instantly as I reached for Nightmare's hand. He pulled me towards him into some kind of hole._

_And then we were in a field of white dandelion. They were gently swaying in the wind and little white pieces of fluff swirled around me. This environment was in such a stark contrast to the previous setting, it made my head spin. I looked at Nightmare for help._

_His eyes were concerned, regretful and sad. Aah, he saw my memory. He reached out to me and engulfed me in a soul reaching hug. I cautiously rested my head in the crook of his neck and cried. The painful fear I tried to hide for so long burst through me as I sobbed my heart out. Nightmare said nothing and just stroked my hair in a comforting way. I prayed Nightmare could hear my mind, so he would know how much it helped me. Please, just for a while._

_Please, don't leave me._

_He tightened his warm embrace and pressed his face in my hair._

_I don't know for how long I've been crying. After a while, my crying died down to little hiccups. I was still afraid to face Nightmare, even though I don't know exactly why._

_"That's okay, Fay. Now tell me your story."_

**Author****_: _****I just realised 'birdy' and 'girly' are spelled like birdie and girlie. Boo me!**


	10. Chapter 10

_I slowly inhaled and exhaled, as to build confidence to speak. Nightmare's hand on my back encouragingly rubbed circles. I pulled myself closer to him, revelling in his safe embrace before I sighed and leaned away to face him properly. His arms prevented me from completely escaping him though. Ah, he really is kind hearted. Why didn't I see that before again? Oh, that's right. His name. And mindreading skills. And..._

_Wait, why is Nightmare in my dream?_

_"It's another one of my... skills, so to say. I'm a dream demon." He wiped away one of my lingering tears, then stiffened for a second._

_"But, I'm not evil!" He hastily said._

_I chuckled at this. It sounded slightly wrong in my ears because I've been crying for so long. But I'm done crying now._

_Nightmare looked at me expectantly. Right. I can't prolong it anymore, huh?_

_"It was a memory of three years ago. I just turned fifteen and there was a party. We didn't know that- we..." I had to stop to recollect myself. The mind reader waited patiently._

_"We didn't know that The Crocodile was headed to the capitol with a small group of soldiers at that time. They set up camp nearby the village and they heard from a local farmer about the celebration. The Crocodile decided soon after that they would... pay us a visit." I didn't want to go into detail. Not with the memory still fresh in mind... Besides, didn't Nightmare see it?_

_"Relax, you don't have to tell me about what happened. I saw enough. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you earlier. The nightmare was too vivid to interfere... Tell we what happened afterwards, Fay."_

_Inhale, exhale. He has a right to know what happened after he saw most of it. Plus, he has been so considerate towards me. I think I can trust him now._

_"At first, nothing changed. Of course we were all beyond scared, but he didn't returned. So, we just rebuild the village and tried to move on. A week later however, The Crocodile put me on the most wanted list that was published in the newspapers. I became an outlaw._

_It didn't take long for the bounty hunters to find their way to our village... I tried to run away, so nobody could get hurt because of me. My brother figured out what I was up to and stopped me. We decided to hide together, the three of us. My brother, Holly and me. But wherever we went, the bounty hunters followed us._

_Nobody could be trusted since there was a reward for capturing. We never stayed too long at one place, always running, always hiding. We knew we couldn't go on like that._

_I couldn't live with the guilt of putting Casper and Holly through it all. My brother realised I would never be safe, no matter what he did and where we went. And that... it killed him inside._

_After two years of running, Casper stumbled upon a dairy in the ancient archives of the capitol. It was written by a woman called Eleanor. She was once a foreigner in this world who completed some... game? I don't know, she was very vague about that. Anyway, she wished to go home... but due to complications she was send to our world. The wrong world._

_Honestly, I didn't believe a word she wrote. It sounded like something a crazy lady would write. And I think Casper and Holly didn't have much faith in it either. But we all agreed to check out the location she described. It was our last piece of hope after all. We had to move on to the next place anyway, so why not there? If I couldn't be safe in my world… then going to another would be a solution. Even though the idea seemed like a dream._

_It took us one whole year to go there. Imagine our surprise when we actually found the rabbit hole! And, well... now I'm here."_

_I sighed sadly. I miss them both so much... I knew they were doing fine, Casper would make sure of that. I hugged closer to Nightmare again._

_"... And your parents?" I unconsciously clenched my hands._

_"The war leaves many orphans..."_

_We were quiet after that, both lost in thoughts. This must be the craziest moment since I arrived here. Right now I'm hugging a man I just met today. Or yesterday, these time changes are still confusing me. But I can't deny how good it feels to just... break down._

_The past years, all I could do was put on a brave facade. There were problems enough without me having a nervous collapse. I wouldn't show it to my brother, he took so many burdens for us already. And sweet, sweet Holly. She would somehow blame herself for it._

_But letting it all out... the only reason I can do that is because Nightmare is making me feel safe. _

_Can you hear me, Nightmare? Thank you. Really, thank you._

_Nightmare tilted my face up gently with one hand, his other tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I spied a mischievous glint in his eyes. Huh, what-?_

_Before I could think any coherent thought, Nightmare placed a soft kiss to my forehead._

_... What the eff._

_Asdfkafgadashalhenaslehf_

_... Kiss?! KISS?!_

_Aklheskhrsaklnekurkahwe!_

_I immediately backed away and this time he let me. I covered my flushed cheeks while I glared at the now laughing dream demon. He was rolling around in the grass and he even had tears in his eyes. Oh, this is just too much, Nightmare!_

_He sat up and tried to control his laughter. He failed miserably._

_"Oh, come on, Fay! You should've seen your face, so hilarious!" I still glared at him._

_"Well, how was I am going to restrain myself when you have such sweet thoughts?" He was now getting more serious, but I didn't stop glaring. That kiss was so uncalled for! Oh, I was so wrong to trust him, he's-_

_"Please don't think that. I won't do it again now, I promise..." Ah, he's looking like a dejected puppy again. I scooted closer to let him know he was sort of forgiven. Wait! He hasn't-_

_"Fay, I'm not going to apologise..." He said with a devilish grin. "After all... you didn't hated it!"_

_I felt my blood rush to my cheeks once more. My teeth snapped together audibly as embarrassment mixed with anger. Oh, now he deserves a slap!_

_I stood up and moved towards him, but the field beneath my feet started to crumble. Before panic bubbled inside me, Nightmare floated in front of me and calmly placed his hands on my shoulders._

_"Time to wake up, Fay..."_


	11. Chapter 11

"Hrnnn... must slap... Night- WOAH WHAT?" I jolted awake and clutched the bed sheets.

Wait, bed sheets?

My brain took a while longer to wake up as I looked around in a groggy way. I don't remember falling asleep in a bed? I flopped down again and closed my eyes. Okay, brain, time to connect the dots.

I had a nightmare, followed by a strange dream that may or may not be real? If it was a real then I can conduct a few things from it. Firstly, Nightmare has way too many crazy powers. Which would make sense if he is a dream demon like he said. Secondly, he knows my story now. I'm not sure how I should feel about that. And lastly, if it was real... I need to slap the silly out of him for kissing me. It was only a kiss on my forehead, but still! If I let him get away with this, who knows what he will do next time! To my frustration I could feel my cheeks heat up. Ugh. Back to connecting the dots, please.

I sighed tiredly. Logic and Wonderland really don't go together well. I pressed my face into the pillow.

Well, whatever the case, I finally felt rested from a good night's sleep. I snuggled closer to my pillow. Aaah, this is heaven! So much better than that tree. And there are sheets! I happily pulled them over my head to enjoy the warmth. I love you bed~!

I quiet knock on the door pulled me out my reverie.

"Miss Fay, may I enter?" Gray asked politely from the other side.

I hopped out of bed, checking if I was decent. Thank goodness nobody changed my clothes when I was asleep. I walked over to the door and opened it ajar. I still need to be careful. But the need to be careful was soon forgotten as I saw the marvellous sight before me.

Gray was holding a tray with food in his right hand, my cloak in his left, and my satchel swung over his shoulder. I was shocked beyond words. This is too good to be true!

"Master Nightmare asked me to bring you breakfast, since he said you had a rough night?" He asked uncertain. So it DID happen!

"Oh my gosh I need to sl-" I froze midsentence. Gray is Nightmare's assistant. And Alice said he was an ex-assassin. There is no knowing what he would do if he found out I wanted to harm Nightmare... I gingerly hedged back. Gray waited for me to speak again, but I retreated further. He took this as an invitation to go inside and walked passed me to place the tray on the nightstand and my belongings on the bed. He then sat on a nearby chair and gestured to the food.

"Please help yourself. Now, what did you want to say?"

"Ah, nothing." I quickly said. Let's not get on his bad side. I literally marched to the bed, because I was so tensed up. But I couldn't help but melt when I say the food. Hmmm, croissant with tomato soup! The scents invaded my senses and I happily plopped down. Breakfast in bed, huh? I'm getting spoiled! I giggled in glee.

"Thank you so much for bringing me food. It looks delicious! I bet it tast much better than forest berries."

"Yes, the chef made it." Gray said slightly disgruntled. Is he annoyed about something? I caught him mumbling about being shooed from the kitchen... I bit my tongue to stop myself from asking. I'm on thin ice here, everything I say could cause my death.

"What miss Alice said about me being a ex-assassin..." He began. He noticed my discomfort? I groaned inwardly. Casper always teased me for being an open book, guess he wasn't the only one who could read me easily.

"... I quit that kind of profession a long time ago. I don't wish to hurt you, miss Fay."

"Then why do carry so many knives." I immediately cringed after saying it. Way to go, Fay, way to go. I watched him cautiously, ready to sprint out of the room if he makes one move. But he looked surprised and gave a short chuckle.

"You really are different from miss Alice, even though you are both foreigners." He then sighed.

"You are not wrong to think Wonderland is dangerous. Even though Clover Tower is neutral ground, we must still be prepared. Alice was quite shocked when she first arrived here, but killing is viewed as 'normal' in this world."

"Yes... I noticed that. I witnessed a shooting in town. The people who died... nobody cared about them. I couldn't understand what was going on."

Gray nodded silently. "I think it would be best if I explain, then. But only if you eat while I talk." He grinned lightly.

I hungrily attacked the soup. So good! He smiled at me and began explaining. Faceless, role-holders, clocks, war, after-images... I listened intently, absorbing every piece of information.

I thoughtfully munched on the croissant after he was done explaining. I grumbled quietly.

"This world is one hell of a mess. Everything feels so unreal..."

"I can understand that it is a lot to take in. Please feel free to ask me anything." Gray... My gaze softened. He's so understanding and compassionate.

"Thank you, Gray. I really appreciate it. Once my head stops spinning, be prepared to fulfil that promise!" I giggled. He's not such a bad guy I think.

"And… sorry about before. I was being rude. It's just that I heard role-holders were dangerous, so that's why I kind of acted paranoid."

"I would be lying if I told you role-holders are completely innocent, but… It would be best to ask yourself a different question. Instead of wondering whether someone is dangerous or not, in Wonderland I would suggest you to ask yourself if that particular someone is dangerous _to you_."

Oh wow. Now that I heard his way of thinking, I felt like a complete kid. Or maybe Gray is just really mature. I was judging people without knowing them, just because Eleanor spoke ill of them in her dairy. I should… give them all a chance.

"You're right, Gray. Do you think I should visit the other role-holders to properly introduce myself?"

"Ah, actually… there will be a meeting in a few time changes. You can meet them all at once then."

I immediately froze, but this time Gray didn't notice. They're coming here?! But I'm not mentally prepared! And will that… cat be here too? And wasn't everybody at war? What will-?

"There is still some time left, so I will make you some hot cacoa, Fay." Hey, I'm still having a mental breakdown over here!

And did he drop the 'miss'? Not that I mind but why would he suddenly…

As he walked past me, Gray petted my head lightly.

"Please feel free to rely on me, Fay." He whispered.

**author: soooo next chapter she will meet the rest! whoop whoop!**


	12. Chapter 12

I nervously fidgeted on my seat while Alice chattered cheerily to me about how much I will like everyone. Then she proceeded in telling me people I might not really like. What? I don't even know. Half of the time I wasn't listening.

All I could do was nod along. These nerves got me tongue-tied! There are so many other things I would do then wait for this dreaded meeting…

And I wasn't the only one thinking this. Next to Alice sat a rather stoic man with long navy blue hair and glasses. He was rubbing his temple occasionally tiredly. Julius was working on a clock, but I could see his mind wasn't focused.

Julius was the Clockmaker, a very important role as Gray had informed me earlier. He told me Julius fixed clocks, Wonderland's equivalent to hearts… and that he was quite a workaholic. Can't blame him. The daily deaths aren't exactly lightening his workload and the war isn't helping either…

From what I could tell, he was a man of few words. Unlike Alice. It really took me by surprise when she told me about her relationship with this 'mortician'. But maybe Julius is one of those people who are closed off at first but then gradually warm up to you? That's the only possible explanation I could come up with for the odd pair anyway.

The door opened and Nightmare entered. I shuffled my feet beneath the chair in an attempt to calm my heart. I really, really don't want to do this. Nightmare chuckled.

"It's not time yet. Gray is currently greeting the guests at Clover Tower." Ah, right. There was a magical door that connects Clover Tower to the Clock Tower where I am now. As if this world wasn't bizarre enough.

"Please remind me again why I _have _to do this." I grumbled. Seriously. I feel like one of those new kids in town who have to introduce themselves in front of a class. Memories flashed before my eyes. I have been that kid plenty of times. The whole 'Hello, my name is Fay and I hope we can become friends!' speech became a monthly thing. Until Holly suggested home schooling. Thinking of those times, I smiled. Holly and Casper always used the good cop bad cop technique on me. Yeah, those times were fun...

"Well Fay..." Nightmare said loudly to reclaim my focus. Oops. "... it's convenient to meet everyone at once."

"Yes, so they won't accidently shoot you. That almost happened to me during my first time changes." Alice chimed in. That's not really comforting Alice…

"There are times fights erupt and you don't want to get caught up in them. If the role-holders know who you are, then they can even protect you. Role-holders are the most powerful people in Wonderland." She patted my shoulder in a friendly gesture.

With other words: if I become friends with them, they protect me. The idea of becoming friends with someone who could potentially kill me doesn't sound appealing though. Gray's words echoed in my mind... Right. I should stop judging them already and just see for myself if they are a threat to me.

"That's my girl!" Nightmare shouted. "Now come along, everybody has gathered."

Alice quickly jumped up and waited patiently for Julius. She then put her hand in his, which made him blush. They left, and I could have sworn mini hearts were surrounding them. I wouldn't believe the two had a relationship if I didn't notice the light blush and Julius softened gaze. Huh, so they really are a couple.

"Chop chop, off we go!" Nightmare urged. I sent a death glare his way. I hadn't had a chance to slap him since there were always other people present. But now... Wait this might be a wonderful idea! I could slap him into oblivion, flee this Tower and not attend the meeting!

"Don't be silly Fay, this really is for your own good."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm coming." With the grace of an eighty year old granny I rose from my seat and slowly, _slowly_ strutted over to him.

"One would think you're heading to the gallows." Nightmare snickered.

Laugh all you want. I'm really nervous, okay?

He put his hand to the small of my back and steered me in the right direction through the long hallway.

"I know. I'll be there too, so don't worry, Fay. I'll introduce the other role-holders first if that would make it easier for you?"

… That could help. I'll have the opportunity to analyse them first and if I think it's too dangerous… Well, I'm still working on that. Maybe I should lit the room on fire as a distraction so I can flee. And then I won't have to introduce myself! Yay!

Nightmare laughed loudly.

"You would really don't want to do this, do you? But please refrain from burning things. I live and work at the Clover Tower, so I would be upset." He said with a wink.

This man needs to stop winking, it's not good for my heart. NO BRAIN DON'T THINK THAT!

But the damage was already done as I watched him howl with laughter. He even needed to place his hand on the wall for support as his body was shaking. I banged my own head on the wall in defeat. Why am I always, ALWAYS, digging my own grave.

I shifted my gaze from Nightmare to the door at the end of the hall. There it is. My stomach did some nervous flips.

"There, there, Fay. Let's go." Oh, he stopped laughing already? Shoot. Looks like my time's up.

"Are you ready?" No, and I never will be.

Nightmare opened the door for me in like a true gentleman would do. Normally I would appreciate it, now all I want to do is kick the door shut and RUN.

I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. The moment I stepped inside the room, I felt all eyes land on me. I closed my eyes and let instincts take over to pinpoint where the people I know were sitting. This way I wouldn't have to look at anyone yet. Ah, I sense Alice close to me. I opened my eyes and quickly walked over to her. I sat down as silent as I could so I wouldn't draw attention. Yeah, like that works when you're already the centre of attention.

Okay, Fay. Let's get this over with.

**Author: remember when I said she would meet the rest in this chapter?**

uhm  
before you bring out your pitchforks and torches, I promise that I will write about it in the next chapter :P


	13. Chapter 13

"Do you have any questions, Fay?" Nightmare asked in all seriousness.

Questions? Just a million or so.

My thoughts were a confused mess as my eyes flitted from person to person. The last half hour, Nightmare had introduced everyone. But honestly, I still know nothing. I mentally repeated the names I've learned over and over again. Remembering names and faces is one of my weakest points. _Linking_ names to faces was an even bigger challenge. Let's see...

Nightmare had started to introduce the people of the Castle of Hearts, who sat closest next to Alice and Julius.

First, a beautiful queen named Vivaldi greeted me warmly. Even though I was a little weirded out by the fact she referred to herself with 'we', I felt an immediate respect for the sophisticated royal as she was the only female role-holder. In this dangerous world where death held little consequences, she stood her own.

She invited me to visit her castle, but it sounded more like an demand. I stuttered a 'thank you', feeling almost uncivilised in her gracious presence. I doubt I would actually go to a freaking castle of all places. I would just embarrass myself, because I know next to nothing about the proper rules of etiquette.

A cheerful knight presented himself after that, with ruby red eyes and light brown hair. His broad smile was... off. I don't know, it just wasn't right? At least not all the time. The few times he spoke to the clockmaker his smile seemed more genuine. Thinking about that knight... what was his name again? Crap. Uhm, I'll refer to him as Smiley for now. Yeah, that will do.

Then there was this man with… ears. Rabbit ears to be exact. I had a hard time trying not to stare at the white fluffy things. I wonder if they are as soft as they look?

Anyway, when it comes to potential allies… he was definitely not one of them. The whole time he would gawk longingly at Alice, but when he turned to me, his red eyes were cold. Even if I were blind, I would still know he hated me with a passion. No clue why, but I don't need one to recognise a threat. He was snappy with his words and I don't even remember his name. But I doesn't matter; I will unquestionably avoid him like the plague anyway.

Nightmare proceeded to tell me about the Amusement Park then, starting with the owner.

Gowland was a lively man with a scruffy beard. He happily talked about his park and how I should absolutely try some of the rides. He even offered me a special pass so I could enter freely and I couldn't hide the excited grin. How many years has it been I went to do something _fun_! As soon as I remembered where I was, I drowned down the emotion though. I need to be completely sure I'm safe before I eat candyfloss. Good gosh, I love candyfloss. And Gowland almost gave me the impression he was okay. _Almost_.

The moment he said he wanted to celebrate my arrival by playing his violin. Everyone, and I really mean everyone, protested. The cat next to him even snatched his violin away.

Ah, the cat. Boris. His clothing was eccentric, but I focused more on his body language. He was relaxed, ears attentive, tail swishing peacefully. It didn't seem like he would attack soon, but with a cat you never know… The minute he began to talk to me, I shrunk down in my seat and eyed him warily. He noticed this and promised me he wouldn't eat me.

Which led to the confusion of most of the role-holders. Boris then explained that I was a bird. The reactions were mixed... The knight laughed heartily, some looked excited or curious and the angry rabbit scoffed.

I sighed demoralised. In my world it was the most private piece of information. But now it was, yet again, thrown out in the open like it held no importance. Yeah, who needs privacy anyway.

Alice added that I was a winter wren and then asked the cat how he knew I was a bird. I was curious about that too…

He said he knew this because of my scent. If I wasn't paying so much attention to him, I would have missed the fraction of a second in which he liked his lips. I felt horror fill my eyes and quickly glanced away, only to meet the gaze of a mouse-like boy.

A silent alliance was formed between us, because we knew we both had the same enemy. Dormouse Pierce was a bit timid and nervous. I would be too if I would sit next to a cat. Poor thing.

The Hatter family was next. Or in other words, the mafia. Which meant there was a war going on between the amusement park, castle and the mafia. Imagine my face when I puzzled these pieces together…

Well, apparently the mafia boss thought it was amusing, judging from his smirk. Instantly, I knew what kind of man he was. It was like all the alarms in my head went off and my female intuition screamed at me not to get close to this lady killer. Casper had warned me for these men when I was younger, even though Casper was like the reincarnated Casanova himself.

The man named Blood threw a charming smile at me. I knew I blushed easily so I forced myself to divert my attention away from his good looks to his ridiculous hat. What on earth was on top of that thing? No wait, who on earth would wear that? Seriously, you can be charismatic all you want but it's not going to change the fact your hat is absurd.

Nightmare was snickering at that point causing Blood to shoot a questionable gaze towards me, even tilting his head a little. I acted like nothing was wrong and somehow I survived.

The second in command was a rabbit as well, but he was the exact opposite of the white rabbit. Elliot introduced himself energetically and expressed how happy he was with another foreigner. When the twins next to him added he was a 'chickie rabbit', his demeanour changed drastically. He started yelling that they were 'annoying little brats' and even smacked their heads.

It kind of reminded me of my 'fights' with my brother and I smiled. I could see he meant no to little harm.

The twins unleashed crocodile tears and asked me for help. They even called me big sister! Too cute!

Before I could respond, Blood ordered them to behave and introduce themselves properly. I have no idea what their names are, I only remember the names sounded alike.

Lastly, Joker presented himself. Or themselves. This is where I couldn't hide my confusion behind a poker face. I was all like: what what what what what.

One being, but two bodies? What. What what.

The Joker who spoke took note of my bewilderment and said that he was White Joker, ringmaster of the circus. His counterpart, as he called him/himself, was Black Joker the warden of Wonderland's jail.

O…kaaaay? Right.

All Black did was sneer at everyone and everything. Like his face was on fire before and then someone put it out. With a fork. Yeah, he looked _that_ annoyed.

I looked around, taking in all the new faces. I know most of their names, their roles, the territories they belong to… But I still had a feeling I knew nothing about them. Besides the fact that everyone was dropdead gorgeous.

I looked at Nightmare.

"No, I don't have any questions. Thank you."


	14. Chapter 14

"Now you have to tell us about yourself, big sister!" The red-eyed twin exclaimed.

"Yeah, you have to do what Dum says!" The other yelled.

Dum? Oh, now I remember. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.

"Uhm... well my name is Fay and I'm eighteen..." I hesitantly began. "... and I'm from another world, but I think you've already guessed that." Oh gosh, I'm nervous. I must sound stupid.

"I'm sincerely sorry that I didn't get into contact with anybody before."

"Yes I'm very curious about that, young lady. Why did you hide for so long?" Blood said. Oh boy, the dreaded question. How should I explain myself without being rude?

"I... ehm... thought it would be safer if I stayed in the forest. I heard all role-holders must be avoided at all costs if I want to stay alive." I instantly regretted my own words. Okay, I practically said role-holders are dangerous. I should not have said that, I should _not_ have said that.

I anxiously awaited his reaction. He chuckled amused.

"Oh, is that so? Clever girl… But tell me, what made you change your opinion about us?"

"I never did change my mind." I countered silently before snapping my mouth shut. Why can't I think before I speak? I was praying nobody heard my comment, but with the amount of animal ears present I knew I had no such luck. Nightmare, help me out, please!

Blood raised one eyebrow, but before he could speak, Nightmare interrupted.

"At any rate, it is a good development you met everyone. You will need it to play the Game of Hearts."

"Game?" I picked out the keyword, I could tell. The atmosphere in the room changed, I could feel the anticipation.

Nightmare handed me a vile with a clear liquid inside it. Holding it at eye-level, I observed it suspiciously. What is this?

"You need to drink this to play the Game. The vile will refill itself automatically while you interact with the role-holders." Nightmare said with a mysterious smile.

That's… vague. Interact with dangerous role-holders, huh? Maybe this isn't so bad. I closed my eyes, letting my sixth sense guide me. Supposedly they were all at war with each other, but I can't feel any hostility in the air. Save for the corner in which the white rabbit sat. The strongest emotion I could pinpoint were the twin's enthusiasm and Pierce's fear. I slowly reopened my eyes to look at the dream demon.

"What happens when I finish this 'game'?" Nightmare looked pleased with my question.

"Of course I am! I was actually waiting for you to ask that. When you win, you will have the option to go back to your own world." He clasped his hands together like he delivered the best news in the world, waiting for me to jump up and cheer or something. Too bad.

"Then I refuse to play the Game." I quickly answered. I didn't need that option, I was going to stay in Wonderland anyway. Plus there are role-holders I wanted to avoid. My eyes darted to the cat across from me at the large table. His eyes widened slightly when he noticed this and a frown appeared on his face.

This Game might be more treacherous than Nightmare pretended it to be. It sounded way too fishy in the first place. And… if the role-holders are unhappy with my decision, then I'll go back to hiding. I am not taking this risk of playing such a dubious game.

"No, Fay, you don't understand-!" Nightmare began, but was swiftly cut off by the mayhem that arose among the role-holders.

"Is that even possible?" "But the rules state…" "She can't stay here and _not_ participate." "Big sister doesn't want to play with us?" "Stupid brats, you have no say in this!" "But you can't go back to the forest, that's unsafe!" "You act like you already know here, Mr. Lizard…" "But surely you want to visit the Circus even if you don't play the Game, right?" "If not then she is an ungrateful filthy little-" "We will not have you speak in such a language!" "I don't need to listen to an old hag like yourself!" "Why, you!" "Oh, are you fighting? Good, good!" "Hey, watch were you are aiming at!" "Oh, getting agitated, _Mary_? Can't deal with it, _Mary_?" "YOU DAMN HATTER!" "Please calm down everyone…" "NO DON'T EAT ME!" "Don't even try to touch me, you-"

I silently observed the scene before me. It horrified me, it truly did. The most innocent looking objects turned into guns and other weapons. Ace's sword, the knight who's name I belatedly recalled, even transformed into a gun. Their voices rose louder and louder, the tension thickened. It was only a matter of time before someone would attack.

I thought that I could trust maybe a third of the people present. I thought that, maybe they were okay. I even envisioned how I would become friends with some.

What was I thinking.

I need to get out of here. Nobody is paying attention to me at this point, so I can escape to my room, get my stuff and RUN LIKE HELL.

But… where will I go? I couldn't hide in the forest anymore. Maybe I should hit town? I could even try to get a job. Yes, that could work.

Nightmare? Are you listening? Thank you for everything, but I've made my decision. I'll be staying in Wonderland, but I'm not playing your games. Goodbye.

I placed the vile on the table and tiptoed away from the upcoming battlefield. Aaaand… I'm free!

* * *

ALICE'S POV

"Hey!" I yelled, but nobody listened.

Blood was taunting Gowland, the twins and Elliot where arguing, Nightmare was throwing up blood with Gray at his side, Ace was pestering both Jokers _and _Peter, the queen was demanding beheadings, Boris was chasing Pierce... Why can't anybody calm down and be civilised?!

BANG

Everybody looked at Julius, who fired his gun at the ceiling. We were all gawking at him, beyond surprised he would do this. Well, all except Nightmare. He paled, eyes fixated on the bullet hole and muttered something about his 'precious Clover Tower'.

Julius cleared his throat.

"Alice wants to say something." He simply stated. All heads turned to me.

"Uhm, I wanted to say that Fay has left?" I said uncertainly. I saw her sneak away earlier.

"Hmm... I didn't notice at all she left. How cheeky." Ace said darkly with a sinister smile. Oh, I don't like that tone...

"It's no surprise, since she _is_ a winter wren after all." An unfamiliar voice spoke. Who was that?

Wait, the king spoke?!


	15. Chapter 15

**Author: Sob. In the last chapter I wrote 'vile' instead of 'vial'. Why is English so difficult again? **

ALICE'S POV

I didn't even notice the king attended this meeting as well. Did he introduce himself? Ohh, now I feel really _really_ bad. He was sitting so close too, how could I have missed him?

Said king was sweating bullets now under Vivaldi's gaze. Wow, I'm glad I'm not him. Vivaldi must be one heck of a wife. How does he survive!

But my interest was piqued. What made the usual soft spoken royal speak his mind?

Vivaldi tapped her foot impatiently and crossed her arms.

"Speak."

"Ah… uhm… that is…"

"Quit your muttering or I'll have your head cut off!" The poor king winced noticeably in fright.

"Ah, please give him a moment, Vivaldi." I quickly said. Will this help?

"Fine. But only because of you, Alice." Vivaldi spoke kindly to me and then turned her sharp gaze towards her husband.

"At this rate, he's going to piss his f****** pants." Black loudly commented. Ugh. Black, why can't you be more civilised! I shot him my best I-hate-you-glare, but he looked unimpressed.

The king sat up straighter in reaction to Black's comment and cleared his throat.

"Uhm… I was quite nervous the first day I became king…" Disinterested mutterings could be heard. Oh, for goodness' sake! Let the man speak! The king inhaled deeply before he continued.

"… so a servant told me the story of the winter wren to lift up my spirits." He paused and I could see him visibly unwind. His eyes seemed to focus on something far away in the past.

"Once, there was a contest between birds to see who could fly the highest. The bird that reached the highest point would be titled King as a reward. The vulture, falcon and condor were all bragging and boasting about their abilities. Most birds gave up before they started, intimidated by the bigger birds. The magpie and the crow used this to their advantage and set up a betting system.

And then there was the wren. Famous for its singing… and unfortunately for its petite stature too. When the little bird told his feathered friends that he wanted to give the competition a try, they all laughed at him.

Even the wise great grey owl scoffed at the wren. 'What can you, an insignificant meagre bird, achieve?' The mockingbird joined them and patted the wren's wing. 'Stick to things you _can_ do, mate, like singing.' The large stork ridiculed him further. 'With one flap of my wings, I can blow you away. And you want to join us? Ha, you'll be blown away all the way to Antarctica by everyone! Don't make me laugh!' To illustrate his point, the stork flapped his wing and the winter wren stumbled down. The group erupted in laughter at this.

The winter wren said nothing and just turned away. He was more determined than before. Not only was he going to participate, he was going to win too. And he already knew exactly how.

He approached the starting line, where all the birds were getting ready. The winter wren moved stealthily behind the golden eagle. As the eagle was straightening his feathers with his beak, the wren flew, unbeknownst to the bigger bird, on the eagle's back and hid behind the huge feathers. He then waited.

The moment the starting signal was given, all birds flew away. Just like the wren predicted, the eagle was soon ahead of all the other birds. The vulture, falcon and condor couldn't keep up with the magnificent eagle.

At one point, just right after the eagle angled himself to return, the winter wren jumped from the eagle's broad back and began flapping his wings furiously. The wren reached a higher point than the eagle and every bird was stunned. Nobody thought he would make it, nobody betted on him, they didn't even include him in their calculations when betting. Against all odds, the winter wren was pronounced King."

The room collapsed into silence after the king's story.

"So what you're saying is… Fay wants to become king?" Ace asked with a silly smile.

Julius did us all a favour by hitting the idiot with his wrench, but even so Ace kept his goofy grin while rubbing the sore spot.

"Imbecile! Your presence alone lowers the average IQ in this room." Peter growled. "Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if your intelligence isn't even measurable."

I sighed deeply. After Julius and I had become a couple, Peter turned… difficult. His shootings occurred more frequently than Vivaldi's beheadings and he had threatened Julius multiple times.

I felt Julius squeeze my hands beneath the table and I looked at him curiously. His face was turned away, but I could see the light blush dusting his cheeks. My lips formed a smile and I squeeze back. Ah, he knows my heart so well.

"Anyway…" White said seriously, "… I think we can conclude from that story, that the winter wren is skilled in adapting and using the situation to one's advantage, am I correct ?"

His sickly sweet smile brought back memories I would rather forget. I felt Julius squeeze my hand yet again. I shook my head and focused on the present.

"Yes, I can confirm that." Nightmare said. "What's more, both her actions and thoughts keep on surprising me. I can't predict where she is heading now… And last time she managed to avoid us all for a prolonged time too." Concern for this innocent little foreigner filled my thoughts. Fay…

"Oooooh~ A search it is then! Searching, searching!" Ace cried happily while standing up. I slapped my forehead. I felt the whole room share my sentiments. Boris even slammed his head on the table in frustration.

He's going to get lost of course. And then we have to search for TWO people. Oh happy days.

Before I could protest, he had already left. Why can't this nitwit wait! Ugh!

"Well, we better get going then." Nightmare reluctantly said.

All role-holders stood up and made their way to the door. Eventually I too, rose from my seat and left the room.

But I didn't notice that Peter had picked up the vial Fay had left. I didn't see his face darken as he almost crushed the tiny bottle. I didn't hear how he uttered Fay's name with intense loathing.

**Author: does anyone know the story of the winter wren? I hope not, otherwise this chapter is very boring . I grew up with this story, but I wasn't sure if it was an international story or not :P**


	16. Chapter 16

I shifted from one foot to another and pensively bit my lower lip. My eyes scanned the notice board in front of me. Various odd jobs were listed in alphabetical order. Nothing too difficult, all part time. But what did I expect from a billboard in the suburbs? Well, let's see what they've got.

Oh? Letter delivery sounds promising... Now, for the requirement. Must be athletic, willing to work a variable schedule on occasion, including early mornings, evenings and/or weekend, having broad knowledge of postal area... Oh dear. The last one might be tricky. I hadn't explored most parts of this town yet and certainly not the suburbs.

That's a bummer. I would have liked delivering letters. Well, I'll keep it in mind for now.

Street sweeper? I wasn't particular interested but the requirements caught my eye. '_Job include cleaning up after the after-images'_. That's ... not my cup of tea, to put it nicely. I shuddered. Okay, moving on...

Oh, wow! A live-in housekeeper! I wouldn't have to worry about housing then... It included dusting, cleaning, scrubbing, vacuuming… I can do that. Hmm, it also said I would have to supervise the family's teenagers' activities frequently. So, it's like a housekeeper slash nanny, then. This sounded like a dream job in my circumstances!

But it all depends on _whom_ I'll work for. And in this case, that would be...

My mouth formed a perfect O and I took a step back in shock. This… is a no. A huge no.

None other than the Hatter family, huh? The innocent term housekeeper just morphed into something else in my mind as I recalled Blood's smirk. I wasn't sure what face I was making, but I knew I deserved the prize for weirdest facial expression ever.

Yeah... no. Heaven forbid I ever take this job. Moving on.

I skimmed through the rest of them. No, no, that one neither. Job hunting is harder than it looks. I soon became disheartened. This isn't working. Maybe I should stroll around town and see if anybody's hiring? And if nothing's working, I could always give mail delivery a try.

I began walking at a leisurely pace, checking the shop's windows as I passed them. I pulled my cloak tighter as I approached the busier part of town to keep myself warm.

Strange. The forest was definitely warmer. It's almost as if I stepped into winter when I entered town. I walked a little faster and tucked my head in to protect my neck against the whipping cold. I _should_ like winter, being a _winter_ wren and all. And I did like elements of winter, the beautiful fragile snowflakes that stayed on your nose and eyelashes for example. I loved those. It's just the cold I wasn't too fond of. Casper would tease me every year about it. While sitting under a warm blanket of course. I snorted. That lovable hypocrite.

I peeked from under the hood to appreciate the buildings around me. What stunning architecture! It's so much better than the concrete blocks of dullness that were the characteristics of the capitol of my old world.

Wait, hold up. When did I start referring to my own world as my _old_ world? I quickly shook my head. Job hunting, Fay. Focus!

I stopped in front of a bakery and glanced inside. There was a long queue and the baker was rushing to and fro. A customer stepped outside and I was hit with the scent of baked goodness. Yummy!

I let my nose lead my feet and soon I found myself in the shop.

"It's so busy…"I muttered.

"Well, of course, honey!" A faceless middle-aged woman said to me. "Roberto's the best when it comes to pastries and cakes! But it sure is a pity his assistant died during a conflict…" She sighed and took a step forward as the waiting line moved. It still took me by surprise that people could take about death like they would take about the weather.

I stood on my toes to look over the mass of people. I lost my balance and almost stumbled into the person in front of me. Right. Try again.

Okay, I wouldn't mind being a few centimetres taller now. I could barely see anything!

I caught a glimpse of the kitchen though. I saw the baker furiously whip filling in a bowl while undecorated cupcakes lay in front of him. This can't be right.

I made my way to the kitchen, successfully weaving in between customers. The baker was so focused on his task he didn't notice me. I stood by his side wordlessly and picked up the decorating bag that was already filled. My hands moved on its own, fuelled by years of experience. I've always helped Holly with making cupcakes…

I carefully squeezed the bag and swirled it around. Now for the perfect twist… and done! Okay, next.

It took me three cupcakes to notice I was singing while decorating the cupcakes. It took me one more to notice everything around me was to quiet.

Oh my gosh. What am I doing?!

I looked up to a surprised looking baker. Uh oh. I'm such a bird-brain. Who in their right minds would suddenly help out. I hesitantly lowered the decorating bag on the table. Maybe I can avoid trouble, if I just slowly back away?

"You… are a foreigner?" I nodded my head hesitantly. Is he going to be angry? Stupid impulsive brain… I can't just walk up here and start working!

"Are you… perhaps, interested in a job?"

I couldn't believe my ears.

* * *

I skipped my way out of the bakery, feeling victorious. For once in my lifetime, I was so lucky! I was actually hired on the spot! I hummed a merry tune in happiness.

I had a job, my belly was filled with leftovers, I even had some money now... All what is left is a place to sleep! Oh I should check-

I was yanked backwards by my cloak and I could hear the fabric rip. I spun around to face the assailant and sucked in a startled breath.

Before me stood a very, very angry Peter. He looked at me as if I was the most disgusting thing on the planet.

"Where do you think you are going, Outsider?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Author: To answer Kpeter's question: yes, role-holders will love outsiders. However there are currently two foreigners, Alice and Fay. The theory I'm applying in my stories is this: if a role-holder is in love with one foreigner, he will not fall in love with the other. Moreover, the 'speed' (for lack of better words) role-holders will fall in love with the foreigner varies, I think. Peter fell in love with Alice at first sight, but for the others it took longer, right? Again, I have no idea if I'm right, but I'll just go with this theory because it's simple :3 **

**So... **

**1. Julius will not fall in love with Fay since he loves Alice **

**2. As for the other role-holders including Peter and Boris... well, who knows? (am I evil or what xD)**

**I hope it's clear now! And thank you for reading & commenting, I really appreciate it :)**

* * *

"Where do you think you're going, Outsider?"

The hostility in his voice made me want to take a step back, but at the same time his bitter eyes prevented me from doing so. Instead I shivered helplessly, like a deer caught in headlights.

When I didn't answer him straight away, he moved forward to grasp my upper arm. I flinched from the crushing pressure he was applying. W-what does he want?

"Well?!" he hissed in my ear. Peter's breathe send another round of shivers down my spine and I whimpered.

"I-I was j-just leaving for the, uhm, forest?" I lied pathetically. "So, uhm… I'll be going now." A quivering smile was all I could manage, but I didn't think I could have fooled the most naïve person.

He roughly shook my arm once and I could feel the bruises forming. This hurts so much! Another painful yelp escaped my throat.

He released me suddenly without warming and I wobbled back. I cradled my hurt arm, trying to get my blood circulation going again by rubbing. He's letting me go? Maybe he doesn't want to hurt me?

I looked up with the tiniest bit of hope, but it was crushed in one horrible instant. For my eyes didn't meet his, but the barrel of a gun.

"You're a waste of time and space, I should just get rid of you now." He hatefully uttered. Every word he voiced corroded my heart like acid.

He's going to shoot me. He is seriously going to shoot me. I'll be dead any second now and I don't even know the reason _why_ he wants me dead. Just like how I don't know why the Crocodile wants me dead. All I know is that soon the reason won't matter, because I won't live anyways.

"You think you can come to Wonderland just like that? Repulsive."

It's over now. I closed my eyes and I waited. My thoughts went to Casper and Holly. I'm so sorry. You guys did everything to help me, _everything_. And it will all be in vain. I wish I could-

"Hrmm-?!"

My eyes flew open and my pupils dilated in shock as I felt his lips crash on mine.

WHAT THE?!

A strong punch to the stomach made me gasp and I felt a bitter liquid invade my mouth. Oh no, I drank whatever that was!

I overcame my shock and pushed the man away. I coughed, doubling over while holding my aching stomach. W-what was that?

Peter tossed a vial in front of my feet. Wait that's… My head snapped up to the rabbit who towered over me. With a handkerchief, he wiped his mouth.

"This is so disgusting. I doubt even cleaning my mouth with soap will kills all the germs you transmitted." He spit on the ground while saying so. He began walking away, but stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"…However, with you here, the others might turn to you. I'll let you live for now. Be happy, you could actually be useful to me."

As I watched his retreating form, realisation hit me. Confusion, anger, fright. I balled my hands as the ugly emotions swirled within me.

He stole my first kiss.

I'm not dead _yet_.

I'm going to play the Game of Hearts.

_Hey, did you know?_

I clutched my head. Is that Nightmare?

_Games always have rules._

It's beginning already? NO!

_It's decided from the beginning._

My heart pounded in absolute panic. No no no please no…

_You knew that, right?_

* * *

***IMPORTANT*IMPORTANT*IMPORTANT***

**I was torn about how I should continue this story, more specifically about ****_who _****I want Fay to end up with. SOO I want to write different sequels starting from this point with different pairings :3 :3 :3**

**but...**

**I still don't know with what pairing I will start xD **

**After I read the manga, I was all like: PETER NEEDS A HAPPY ENDING . then I read other fanfics and I was like NIGHTMARE NEEDS MORE LOVIN'. but now my fingers are ITCHING to write an AcexFay or BorisxFay story. Why? because Ace feels like a challenge to write about and (not unimportant) he's sexy. Everyone knows Boris is a real sweetheart except for Fay of course so writing about that is fun 3 **

**And then there is Elliot, Pierce, Gray and and and- **

**You get my torn heart? :P**

**So... help me out? :D**

**If there are no comments by the end of next week, I'll have to accept my fate and roll a dice to pick a role-holder blindly xD **

**Thank you all for following this story up till now!**


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